Effect of pretreatment of rats with an urinary preparation on liver injuries induced by carbon tetrachloride and alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate

Hepatoprotective effect of Phyllanthus in Taiwan on acute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride

The effect of oral administration of Phyllanthus methanolic extracts (PME) (i.e. P. acidus, P. emblica, P. myrtifolius, P. multiflorus, P. amarus, P. debilis, P. embergeri, P. hookeri, P. tenellus, P. urinaria L.s. nudicarpus, P. urinaria L.s. urinaria) or gallic acid (GA) on the progression of acute liver damage induced by CCl(4) in rats was examined by morphological and biochemical methods. P. acidus, P. urinaria L.s. urinaria, GA at a dose of 0.5 g/kg, and P. emblica, P. urinaria L.s. nudicarpus at a dose of 1.0 g/kg attenuated CCl(4)-induced increase in serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (GOT). P. acidus, P. urinaria L.s. nudicarpus, P. urinaria L.s. urinaria, GA at a dose of 0.5 g/kg, and P. emblica, P. amarus, P. hookeri, P. tenellus at a dose of 1.0 g/kg attenuated CCl(4)-induced increase in serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (GPT). Concurrently, P. acidus, P. multiflorus, P. embergeri, P. hookeri, P. tenellus and P. urinaria L.s. urinaria elevated the activity of liver reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Since the protective effects of P. acidus, P. emblica, P. myrtifolius, P. embergeri, P. urinaria L.s. nudicarpus, P. urinaria L.s. urinaria and GA correlate with a reduction in liver infiltration and focal necrosis observed using histological methods, these data demonstrate that P. acidus and P. urinaria L.s. urinaria are hepatoprotective and antioxidant agents.

Inhibitory effect of CDA-II, a urinary preparation, on aflatoxin B(1)-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

The effects of CDA-II (cell differentiation agent II; a urinary preparation) on both aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1))-induced cell injury and DNA damage were investigated using cultured rat hepatocytes. CDA-II was able to suppress both the lipid peroxidation and lactate dehydrogenase leakage induced by AFB(1). Glutathione (GSH) depletion by AFB(1) was replenished by CDA-II treatment. Under these experimental conditions, CDA-II enhanced the activity of GSH peroxidase, but not GSH S-transferase. By evaluation of unscheduled DNA synthesis, CDA-II reduced AFB(1)-induced DNA damage in hepatocyte cultures. These findings suggest that CDA-II can inhibit cytotoxicity of AFB(1) through enhancing the activity of GSH peroxidase and preventing GSH depletion.

Effect of CDA-II on cell viability, lipid peroxidation, glutathione concentration and its related enzyme activities in primary rat hepatocytes

This study investigated the effects of various concentrations and incubation time intervals of CDA-II (cell differentiation agent: a preparation of human urine) on cell viability, lipid peroxidation and glutathione and its related enzyme activities in rat hepatocytes. Based on the results of lactate dehydrogenase leakage and microscopic examination, treatment with CDA-II significantly elevated the viability of hepatocytes. The level of lipid peroxidation of cells treated with 2.5 or 5 mg/ml CDA-II was lower than the control after 4, 8 and 24 hours of incubation. Intracellular glutathione (GSH) content of cells treated with 0.25-5 mg/ml CDA-II was significantly higher than controls after 8 and 24 hours of incubation. These phenomena are beneficial to the antioxidant capabilities of hepatocytes. Furthermore, treatment of hepatocytes with CDA-II has no effect on the activities of GSH peroxidase, GSH reductase and GSH S-transferase. In conclusion, adequate concentration of CDA-II could enhance the viability and antioxidative capability of hepatocytes.

Synergistic effect of cell differential agent-II and arsenic trioxide on induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in hepatoma cells

AIM: To illustrate the possible role of cell differential agent-II (CDA-II) in the apoptosis of hepatoma cells induced by arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃).

METHODS: Hepatoma cell lines BEL-7402 and HepG2 were treated with As₂O₃ together with CDA-II. Cell surviving fraction was determined by MTT assay; morphological changes were observed by immunofluorescence staining of Hoechst 33258; and cell cycle and the apoptosis index were determined by flow cytometry (FCM).

RESULTS: Cytotoxity of CDA-II was low. Nevertheless, CDA-II could strongly potentiate arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis. At 1.0 g/L CDA-II, IC₅₀ of As₂O₃ in hepatoma cell lines was reduced from 5.0 µmol/L to 1.0 µmol/L (P < 0.01). The potentiation of apoptosis was dependent on the dosage of CDA-II. FCM indicated that in hepatoma, cell growth was inhibited by CDA-II at lower concentrations (< 2.0 g/L) primarily by arresting at S and G₂ phase, and at higher concentrations (> 2.0 g/L) apoptotic cell and cell cycle arresting at G₁ phase increased proportionally. The combination of two drugs led to much higher apoptotic rates, as compared with the either drug used alone.

CONCLUSION: CDA-II can strongly potentiate As₂O₃-induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells, and two drugs can produce a significant synergic effect.

Scavenging of reactive oxygen species by a urinary preparation

In the present paper, the antioxidant properties of a preparation of human urine (PHU) were evaluated by studying the ability of this drug to react with relevant biological oxidants such as superoxide anion radical (O2*-) and hydroxyl radical (OH*). In addition, its effect on lipid peroxidation was investigated in vitro and ex vivo. PHU is not a good scavenger of O2*-. However, it reacts rapidly with OH radicals with a second-order rate constant of 2.8 x 10(9)/M/sec. The studies on rat brain homogenates showed that PHU had an inhibitory effect, which was dependent on its concentration and the magnitude of lipid peroxidation. Ex vivo studies also showed that oral administration of PHU increased the antioxidant capacity of plasma from rats. The ability of PHU to scavenge free radicals suggests that this drug may be potentially useful in counteracting free radical-mediated diseases.

Effect of a urinary preparation on liver injury by short-term carbon tetrachloride treatment in rats

The hepatoprotective effect of a preparation of human urine (PHU) was assessed against short-term carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment in rats. Significant prevention of liver injury by PHU was found after CCl4 treatment, judging by the changes of serum biochemical parameters, and hepatic protein and triglyceride contents. The increased liver lipid peroxidation, and decreased liver vitamin C concentrations observed after CCl4 treatment were significantly prevented by PHU administration. The increase in liver glutathione (GSH) contents observed after CCl4 treatment was further increased by PHU treatment. Liver catalase activity decreased after CCl4 treatment, while liver superoxide dismutase and GSH-peroxidase activities did not change. PHU administration further inhibited the decrease in liver catalase activity after CCl4 treatment. These results indicate that PHU administration can prevent liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats by inhibiting enhanced lipid peroxidation and by improving disrupted active oxygen metabolism in the injured liver.

Ameliorative effect of an urinary preparation on acetaminophen and D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The effect of oral administration of a preparation of human urine (PHU) on acute liver injury was examined in rats intoxicated with acetaminophen and D-galactosamine. The results indicated that PHU protected the liver from acetaminophen and D-galactosamine-induced injury as judged by morphological and biochemical observation. An increase in lipid peroxide concentrations and decrease in protein concentrations occurred in the liver by D-galactosamine injection, PHU administration significantly prevented these changes.